Multichannel recorder-reproducer systems are known in which transducers are individually mounted to concurrently scan separate tracks across a magnetic tape, such as in a longitudinal or helical manner. Consistent with required signal to noise ratios, each track must be narrow in width and all tracks must be precisely parallel along the direction of track scan, if recording space on the tape is not to be wasted. Since each transducer is mounted at a separate location along a perpendicular to the direction of tape travel in many prior art systems, recording space on the tape is wasted thereby due to the mounting tolerance and dimensional build-ups incurred therewith. Individual transducers are spaced along the direction of track scan in other prior art systems, to avoid the dimensional build-up incurred from the multiple mounting provisions of the transducers. However, this results in greater length of contact travel between the transducer arrangement and the tape, so that the pressure exerted therebetween has a greater distance over which to vary. Fabrication techniques are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,544,982 and 3,634,933 for mounting a plurality of transducers in a compact magnetic head unit which substantially resolves these tolerance and dimensional build-up problems in applications which utilize guardbands to reduce crosstalk between adjacent channels.